The Girl Next Door
by PennyHeartz
Summary: Emma leaves Boston in search of a change from city life and her bounty hunter lifestyle. She doesn't choose any old small town. Storybrooke has one thing drawing her there, but it's safe to say Emma will find more than she bargained for. Told from Emma's POV, SwanQueen. Not the best summary in the world, but don't let that deter you.


_**A/N - This is my first Once Upon a Time fanfic, so be kind! Other chapters will be a greater length, this is just an introduction.  
I own nothing (well, nothing to do with OUAT).**_

Emma's POV

* * *

Well, at least my biceps are getting a good work out.

I've been unpacking boxes from my car for the last hour and have worked up quite a bit of sweat. I wipe my brow and take a look around my surroundings, eyes sweeping the new space that I will now be calling home. This place is a lot bigger than the apartment I had in Boston, it has two stories and a nice big garden out the back. I didn't want to move to somewhere quite…suburban, but this was the only house for sale in the entire town of Storybrooke.

What brings a city girl like me to a place like this, you ask? Well, ten years ago I gave birth to a son while I was in prison and then gave him up for adoption. About a year ago I went through a really difficult time, which lead me to searching for the son I gave up all those years ago. I wanted to know if he was okay, if I did the right thing by giving him away so he could have his best chance. Finally, two months ago, I tracked him down to Storybrooke. One month after that the lease on my apartment was up and I decided to move away from Boston, which leads me here. What better place to relocate for another twelve months? I can have a break from the city life and my bounty hunter lifestyle whilst checking in on my son, Henry.

I remember the day when I found the paper trail that lead me to finding him. It was surreal. When I first read his name I could feel the blood pumping through my veins, my heart beating wildly at the discovery. Finding out his name somehow made it feel more real, like he was more of a person than just this blurry memory I had of him from ten years ago. The same file contained a current address and the name of his adoptive mother (Regina Mills). I had googled the town and adoptive mother as soon as I got home and was quite surprised to find out Regina Mills was the mayor of said town. The fact Henry had been adopted by a mayor of a town gave me some small comfort, but I still felt a tugging at my heart urging me to check in on him. So I packed everything in my apartment into my yellow bug and here I am.

I have one box left in my car to bring inside so with a small sigh I walk back outside and towards the drive way. I open the passenger side door and reach in for the box when I hear a voice calling out to me.

"Hey! Do you need any help?"

I put the box back down on the passenger seat and turn towards the voice coming from the sidewalk. The voice belongs to a petite woman with a pixie cut hairstyle and clothes that look too old for the person wearing them.

"No, that's the last one. Thanks for the offer though," I reply, smiling hesitantly at the woman. I'm not really used to the whole people wanting to help kind of thing. I've always been a city girl and most people in my apartment buildings keep to themselves.

"Oh okay. Well, hi, I'm Mary Margaret, it's nice to meet you," she says while taking a few steps to reach me so she can hold out her hand for me to shake. Okay, this is _a lot_ different to living in the city.

"Emma. Emma Swan," I respond while shaking her hand firmly but briefly as possible.

"I can't even remember the last time we had someone new to live in town! What brings you here to Storybrooke?" the pixie haired lady is looking at me expectantly with bright eyes and a wide smile. Like I said, I'm not used to this amount of friendliness but there's something about the warmth of her smile and her infectious enthusiasm that makes me unable to _not_ like her.

"I just moved here from Boston. I fancied a change and something about Storybrooke drew me in," Yeah, Henry, but this stranger doesn't need to know that. I don't want anyone to know my connection to him, not even Henry himself. I don't want to disrupt his life if he's happy and healthy. Plus, I don't like to stay in places for too long so forming attachments to anyone or anything is a no.

"Well I hope to see you around town, if you need anything I'm at the diner most mornings grabbing a coffee at the diner before school," she smiles one last time at me before walking down the drive way back to the sidewalk, throwing a small wave over her shoulder.

"Thanks," I reply with a wave of my own, genuinely pleased to have at least made an acquaintance already. I'm just about to walk back to my car when someone else comes along the sidewalk and greets me.

"Hey there, you must be new around town," he walks further towards me and holds out his hand in an exact mirror of Mary Margaret from a few minutes before.

"Yeah, I'm Emma," I reply while shaking his hand, already catching on to the expected custom in this small town.

"I'm Graham, the town Sheriff," he replies while letting go of my hand, "what brings you to Storybrooke?" Okay, so not only do these people feel the need to shake hands with strangers but apparently they need to know why I'm here too.

"I needed a change from the city life and my job, what better place than here?" I ask, already sick of repeating my reason for being here. Soon I'll need a change from saying I needed a change.

"What line of work were you in?"

"I was a bounty hunter, I'm really good at finding people," I smirk and inwardly congratulate myself on finding my son even though the records were sealed. I'm _that_ good.

"Bounty hunter, huh? What job have you lined up here?"

"It was kind of an impulse move. I have some savings to get me by until I find a job," I reply, wondering why he's so interested in what I do for a living. I mean sure, I'm blonde and easy on the eyes but no need to stereotype. I really am good at being a bounty hunter. I enjoy finding people, the chase and the physical aspects. I just needed a break from the crazy hours, criminals don't work 9-5 and neither did I.

"If you're interested, I'm looking for a Deputy to work part time? Maybe you could come in on Monday for a trial?"

"Really?" I ask, slightly bewildered. This guy doesn't even know me and he's basically offering me a job. Are people in small towns always this trustworthy or is it just Storybrooke?

"Sure. We don't really get new people here often and everyone else already has a job. Plus being a bounty hunter must be harder than being a Deputy in a small town like this," he says kindly.

"Okay sure, why not," I reply, unable to believe my luck. It's only my first day here and I've already been offered help unpacking as well as a job offer.

"Great, see you Monday, Emma," he smiles at me one last time before retreating to his parked car across the street.

I grab the box from the car before locking it and walking through the front door, shutting it behind me. I place the box down in the living room and turn around to head towards the kitchen for a much needed drink when the doorbell rings. Christ, how many people walk down this street? Have none of them ever seen someone new move in before? I flick the hair out of my eyes before reaching the door and opening it to greet whoever is on the other side.

"Hello," an impeccably dressed brunette greets me smiling widely, "welcome to the neighborhood," she says while holding out an apple pie wrapped on a plate for me to take.

"Oh wow, thanks," I reply as I accept the offered pie, "I'm Emma."

"Nice to meet you, dear, I'm Regina Mills. I'm the mayor of Storybrooke," she says, flashing her white teeth as her smile gets even wider, "but more importantly, I'm also your new neighbor."

_**A/**_**_N - So that's the premise. Hopefully it's going to be something a bit different for you readers. Follow or review if it interests you and yeah, thanks for reading :)_**


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